San Jose, CA has won the right to host the 2018 Worldcon, beating a bid for New Orleans, LA by 675-594 with 24 write-ins. The convention, which will be known as Worldcon 76, will take place the weekend of August 16-20. The guests of honor are Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Pierre & Sany Pettinger, and Spider Robinson. In addition, Rob Wilkins and Edgar Pangborn will be Ghosts of Honor.For more information…

MidAmeriCon II has announced that site selection is now open for the 2018 Worldcon and the 2017 NASFIC. Site selection is conducted by mail or in person with no electronic voting options available. Any member of MidAmeriCon II may vote in site selection if they pay the site selection fee, which will convert to a supporting membership for the winning bid. The fee is $40 for the 2018 Worldcon site selection and $25 for the 2017 NASFIC site selection.

The committee trying to bring the 2018 Worldcon to San Jose has announced that they are taking suggestions for Guests of Honor in several categories, including Writing, Editing, Art, Music, Science, and Fandom. Generally Worldcon GoHs should have a career spanning at least 30 years and still be relevant to the community. It is rare that a previous Guest of Honor is honored a second time. Recommendations, along with an explanation for why they should be honored, may be sent to goh@sjin2018.org.

San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (SFSFC) has announced a bid to host the 2018 Worldcon in San Jose, CA. SFCFC has previously hosted worldcons in San Francisco (1993) and San Jose (2002). Should they win, the convention will be held at the McEnery Convention Center from August 16-20, 2018. The bid is being chaired by Andrew Trembley.

Ellen Klages has been named Toastmaster for this year’s Nebula Awards. Klages, who previously won the Nebula in 2005 for her novelette “Basement Magic” has long demonstrated her ability to hold a room’s attention at Wiscon. This year’s Nebula Awards will take place in San Jose, CA on May 17.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has announced the nominees for this year’s Nebula Awards, Norton Award, and Bradbury Award. All of the awards will be presented at the annual Nebula Award Weekend Banquet in San Jose, CA on May 17. In addition, as previously announced Samuel Delany will be presented as the Damon Knight Grand Master. All SFWA Active members may vote for the Nebulas from March 1 through March 31.

Best Novel

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

Fire with Fire, by Charles E. Gannon

Hild, by Nicola Griffith

Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie

The Red: First Light, by Linda Nagata

A Stranger in Olondria, by Sofia Samatar

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker

Best Novella

“Wakulla Springs,” by Andy Duncan & Ellen Klages

“The Weight of the Sunrise,” by Vylar Kaftan

“Annabel Lee,” Nancy Kress

“Burning Girls,” by Veronica Schanoes

“Trial of the Century,” by Lawrence M. Schoen

Six-Gun Snow White, by Catherynne M. Valente

Best Novelette

“Paranormal Romance,” by Christopher Barzak

“The Waiting Stars,” by Aliette de Bodard

“They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass,” by Alaya Dawn Johnson

“Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters,” by Henry Lien

“The Litigation Master and the Monkey King,” by Ken Liu

“In Joy, Knowing the Abyss Behind,” by Sarah Pinsker

Best Short Story

“The Sounds of Old Earth,” by Matthew Kressel

“Selkie Stories Are for Losers,” by Sofia Samatar

“Selected Program Notes from the Retrospective Exhibition of Theresa Rosenberg Latimer,” by Kenneth Schneyer

“If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love,” by Rachel Swirsky

“Alive, Alive Oh,” by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

Doctor Who: “The Day of the Doctor,” directed by Nick Hurran, written by Steven Moffat

Europa Report, directed by Sebastián Cordero, written by Philip Gelatt

SFWA has announced that Frank Robinson will be a special guest at this year’s Nebula Awards Weekend, to be held from May 16-18 in San Jose. Robinson is the author of the novels The Glass Inferno and The Dark Between the Stars as well as the Hugo Award-winning Science Fiction of the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) have announced the nominees for the 2012 Nebula Awards, to be presented in San Jose, California during the 2013 Nebula Award Weekend on May 18. A tie for six place in the balloting resulted in seven nominees in the Novelette and Short Story categories. A four way tie for sixth place, plus the three additions by the jury for the Norton Award resulted in twelve nominees in that category.

ALAMO, the Alamo Literary Arts Maintenance Organization, is offering a scholarship for $300 to help a Texas-based fan attend this year’s SMOFcon, to be held December 3-5, 2010 in San Jose, CA. The winner is expected to report to ALAMO following the con, letting them know what information they learned. Scholarship applications must be received by September 30.

SFWA has announced that is will hold its annual business meeting on October 31 at 8:30 am at the Fairmont Hotel at 170 South Market Street in San Jose. The meeting will coincide with this year’s World Fantasy Con. Normally, SFWA holds this annual meeting in conjunction with Worldcon, but since SFWA’s current incorporation requires the business meeting to be held in the United States, World Fantasy Con was selected as an alternate venue.